The Chance for a New Beginning
by Bishojo Beauty
Summary: After AC. Loz shows up on Tifa's door step. With Tifa willing to help, will Loz be able to see all that life really has to offer? And perhaps find romance in the process.


The Chance for a New Beginning

Chapter 1

He wasn't sure where he was. He wasn't sure how he got there. In face, he wasn't really sure about anything at that moment. It had all happened so quickly. In a blur.

One moment he had been so close to Mother, and the next, he was lying in a bunch of rubble looking up into bright skies. It was the kind of sky that appeared after rainfall.

He couldn't help but let a small smile grace his masculine features despite the sadness evident around him. He, at the moment, sat in rubble that spoke of complete and utter destruction. And worst of all, his brothers were no where insight. He just wandered and wandered until he finally collapsed.

Earlier, he had come to a point with Yazoo, that he thought it was his time. But as it turned out, he felt very much alive. The pain was proof of it.

His body protested his every move. His throat was sore and his voice coarse from crying and calling out his brother's names.

For the first time ever, he felt completely and utterly alone.

No more scientists bustling around him busily.

No more Mother.

No more Kadaj.

No more Yazoo.

Just himself.

But as he looked over the horizon from where he lay. He saw a small city. And he hoped with whatever hope he had left within him, that he would find someone there.

- -

Tifa smiled as Denzel and Marlene described with vivid actions their adventures of the day. It had been several days now since Geostigma had been quite literally washed away and the children's lively spirits were once again filling Tifa's small restaurant.

"Okay, now it seems you two had an exhausting day, so it's time for bed, okay?" Tifa suggested while she leaned closer to the two children to give them a hug. They both protested a little, but eventually decided that bed wasn't that bad of a place to go. Their day had been quite eventful.

With her job for the day done, Tifa decided that it was time for her to retire to bed as well. But a movement in the corner of her eye, however, stopped her. There was something, or someone outside her shop. She had seen him or her move out of view just as she had turned around to face the window. Thinking that it could possibly be a child that visited frequently and for whatever reason, needed to come now, Tifa went immediately to the door and threw it open.

What she found however, was far from a child in need, but rather a grown man.

Her jaw fell open upon recognition of exactly who this man was. She did not know what name he went by, but his distinct features gave him away immediately. With short silver hair, and cat-like green eyes, he stared at her. And Tifa stared back. This was no longer the man that fought her, but what appeared more like the child she had expected to find in a way. The fear that was evident in his eyes so undisguised, like that of a child.

"Can I help you?" Tifa asked, her voice sounding very small. Tifa didn't have anything else better to say and waited patiently for a response. She watched as the silver-haired man who sat on the ground below her struggled to say something. But nothing came out.

Tifa watched him for a bit longer. From what she could tell, he was harmless, so she crouched down to his level and offered a friendly smile. And that was when she witnessed the very last thing she had expected. His eyes began to water. At first Tifa thought that maybe he had something in them, but when she noticed that his bottom lip began to quiver, she had no doubt. He was crying.

Just then, Marlene came crashing through the front door.

"Tifa! There's this giant spider...on...the...wall," Marlene had began, but her voice trailed off as her eyes fell upon the man on their porch.

"Hey, Mister Loz, I remember you," she started. She walked closer to him.

_Loz? Is that his name? _Tifa wondered to herself as she watched Marlene carefully. Tifa thought that Marlene would have been deathly frightened of this Loz, but on the contrary, she walked right up to him and hugged him the best she could.

Despite what Marlene expected, Loz was very gentle with her when he brought her and the materia with them to the Lost City. She had actually gotten quite well acquainted to the rather large man. And couldn't help but feel relieved to see that he had survived the whole ordeal.

"Marlene," Tifa began, "why don't you see if Loz wants to come inside with us? It's kind of chilly out here."

Marlene didn't ask him herself, but looked at Loz expectantly, her hand already in his and pulling him towards the door. At first, he seemed hesitant to enter the building when Marlene finally had him standing, but further persuasion and he was in, sitting down on a stool, and wolfing down several sandwiches.

Tifa had long ago from then sent Marlene to bed, after taking care of a small spider on a wall. Thanks to Loz. He had followed them to Marlene's room, all the while with unsure steps and watched with wide eyes at Marlene's fear of the spider. Tifa was about to smush the spider when Loz had done it for her. Marlene cheered at this and then used her bed as a launching point to latch herself onto Loz's neck.

Tifa smiled at the memory of this. The said man was now sitting with an empty plate in front of her and just, well, staring. Tifa figured in a way, that he just did not know better. It had been really all he had been doing since he sat down. If he wasn't looking down at his food, he was looking at her. All the attention made Tifa feel a little warmer.

"Would you like more?" Tifa asked. Loz shook his head in response.

"You haven't said a word all evening," The brunette stated in an attempt to fill the silence in the room. Loz appeared troubled at this as his brows furrowed deeply and his lips turned into a frown.

"That's okay though, some silence from all the noise of the kids is nice." Tifa watched as her words had their desired effect. Loz's brows unfurrowed, his lips turned upward more and his slouched form even straightened a bit more. Taking in his form now, she noticed now, the dirt that caked on his black suit and on his face.

"How about a shower? I'll let you borrow some of Cloud's clothes. They might be a bit tight, but at least you'll be clean," Tifa suggested all the while Loz stared at her. Usually, Tifa found, if men stared, it was definitely not the kind of staring that Loz was doing. It was usually directed just a bit lower. Loz however, kept his eyes on hers the whole time.

"...Big brother?" Loz voice squeaked from overuse from the days before.

"Um, yes, your big brother. Cloud, he lives here. But he's out running an errand right now. He'll be back tomorrow morning,"

Loz fell silent once again, and Tifa decided to lead him to the washroom. As he trudged along behind her, Tifa showed him where he would be able to find things to fulfill his basic needs. Not long after, Tifa sat back down the kitchen and while she waited for Loz to be finished his shower, Tifa picked up the phone and dialed Cloud's number.

Tifa still couldn't help but be surprised now to hear Cloud actually pick up his phone these days. After such a long time of her always getting his voice mail, it was unusual, but definitely something Tifa wouldn't mind getting used to. She informed him quickly of Loz's appearance on her door step.

"Tifa, you can't let him stay there. He can still be dangerous," Cloud warned her. Worry evident in his voice.

"I think it'll be okay, Cloud. If he had something in mind, he would have done it already,"

"Okay. But Tifa, be careful," Cloud said after a momentary pause before hanging up. Sighing Tifa replaced the phone in it's charger. As she did this, Loz reappeared in the kitchen, and looking much less menacing than when he was in the kitchen earlier. Dressed in a plain black tee and cotton pants, he looked somewhat normal.

"Did you find everything okay?" Tifa asked. Loz regarded her silently for a while before giving her a curt nod in response. Tifa couldn't help but smile at his social awkwardness. Not knowing his background she couldn't exactly say, but she had a feeling that he had never seen much of the "real" world. And the truth was he didn't. Especially now, with his brothers gone, he had no idea what to do with himself. Kadaj had always been there and he always knew what to do. All Loz had to do was follow. This was definitely a big change from what he was used to. Never had anyone ever offered such kindness to him. Clearing his throat, he offered two words to her that he had never said before besides to his brothers, simply because there was nothing that anybody else ever did that called for it.

"Thank you,"

* * *

Chapter two anyone?

Hopefully yes, but thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it.

Bishojo Beauty


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